Your Undoing: Hook's Story
by a.touch.eclectic
Summary: Sequel/companion to my story Your Undoing. Must read first. Hook's story of how he felt about Emma in episodes 2x04 - 2x15. Very CS heavy!
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to the second part of my story Your Undoing. If you have not read that yet, this story won't really make sense, so please read that first. This will follow the scenes with Hook in episodes 2x04 through 2x15. I am a stickler for accuracy, so the dialogue is taken directly from the episodes as much as possible. Everything is from Hook's point of view. This chapter is shorter because there was not as much material in this episode. Don't worry, later chapters will be longer.**

**Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time, related characters, and dialogue belong to the amazing writing talent of Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, not me. If only...**

"The Crocodile"

Hook looked through the spyglass. He knew the little island was home to Cora's victims, the few people that had survived the curse that Regina had placed upon the land. He didn't care about them as much as he did about what Cora wanted to do with them. The plan she had that would eventually reunite him with his True Love.

"Hello Hook," he heard her voice from behind him.

"Hello Cora. You tell me it's something important you needed to show me?" He looked over to see what was so important she made him wait around for hours to hear it. Unfortunately, the bottle she held was less than impressive. "Sparkly dirt, wonderful."

"Just the remains of a magical wardrobe that can travel between worlds."

This actually intrigued Hook. Travel between realms was exactly what he needed to do. "Is it enough to get us where we need to go?"

"Not quite, but it's a start."

Hook was slightly less impressed now. He needed to find a way back to her. One hundred years was too long to wait. "We're almost ready to set sail. What's own port of destination?"

"Storybrooke."

Hook felt a little thrill go up through his spine. He was finally going to get what he wanted. Before Cora could question his reaction, he played off his feelings. "Curious name. Is that where - "

"She is. And so is he."

"Excellent. You'll be able to see your daughter. And I can skin myself a crocodile" _And be reunited with her again_ he thought. He avoided any mention of Emma to Cora, not wanting the older woman to exploit him for it. He knew that if he talked about Emma, then Cora would stop at nothing to use her as well in their little scheme. Hook was only willing to go along as far as it got him to Emma or Storybrooke, whichever came first. He would be reunited with his True Love.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! I'm glad that people other than me are enjoying this.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the story, or any dialogue you recognize. Maybe after I win the lottery...**

"The Doctor"  
The voices around him alerted him that the women he was seeking had finally arrived. He began to move slightly, trying to appear injured and disoriented. Cora had given him explicit instructions, but he completely forgot what they were when a voice he often dreamed about, but hadn't heard in over a century entered his ears.

"Hey, hey look," Emma said, lifting the dead body that he had crawled under. As the other women aided and questioned him about his well-being, he stared at Emma, mesmerized by the sight of her after one hundred years. He hadn't expected her to be here, but he was not going to complain a bit. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. Her golden hair was haloed by the sunlight, and he had to remember that she wasn't an angel or a dream sent to torment him. She was his True Love returned to him. Unfortunately, she didn't know it yet, and he had promised that he wouldn't do anything yet, as painful as it was.

He sat down at the table, and nearly cried out when Emma left. He knew that she wasn't leaving him permanently, not like before, but it was still hard to see her walk away when all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her. Remembering to act the part Cora needed him to in order to get them all back, he slouched over and kept rubbing his face to appear worried and self-conscious. Luckily Emma returned quickly, a glass in her hand. He accepted the drink and listened once again to her melodious voice, even if it was full of distrust and questions.

"An island full of corpses, you're the only one to escape. How exactly did that happen?" Emma asked.

"She attacked at night, slaughtered everyone in one fell swoop..." he began his tale. He could tell that Emma wasn't buying it wholeheartedly, but he didn't really care. If she saw through Cora's ruse, all the better for him. His goal had always been to get to Emma, no matter how that happened. Now that she was there, he didn't need Cora any longer.

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. I'm pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me," Emma said, looking deeply into his eyes.

Hook tried to keep his voice even, tried to pretend that looking that intensely at this gorgeous woman was not affecting him more than it should. "I'm telling you the truth."

Emma broke eye contact, and he looked down at his hand, trying to recover from the immense feelings coursing through his veins. If Emma hadn't made him promise not to say anything, he would betray Cora this instant. But that would make him appear too eager, too suspicious to truly gain their trust.

Their conversation didn't catch him until he heard Mary Margaret mention a grandson. "You have a grandson?" he asked. He cast a sideways glance at Emma, assuming that this was the mother she had mentioned before that was currently the same age as her.

"Well, I know this land well. I can guide you..." he offered his services, trying to engender himself to them once again.

"You're not gonna guide us anywhere until you tell us who you really are," Emma said, pressing her danger against his neck. Despite the danger to him, he found himself leaning back more to increase the contact between the two of them, rather than to get away from the knife. She forced him to his feet and pushed him up against a tree. The four women worked together to wrap rope around him, tying him tightly to the tree.

"I already told you, I'm just a blacksmith," he whined, hoping once again that he could gain their trust willingly. He looked straight at Emma, trying to get her to see what he already knew, that they were meant to be together.

"Sure you are," Emma doubted. She placed her fingers in her mouth and a shrill whistle sounded. As he struggled and listened to the one princess speak up for him, he knew that he couldn't let Emma leave him once again.

"Good for you! You bested me. I can count the amount of people who've done that on one hand," he said, finally preparing to play his hand against Cora. Emma and her friends were much more likely to make it to Storybrooke anyways, and going to that land would mean nothing if Emma wasn't there.

"That supposed to be funny? Who are you?" Emma asked harshly. He smiled as he reintroduced himself.

"Killian Jones, but most people have taken to calling me by my more colorful moniker – Hook," he said.

"Hook," Mary Margaret breathed.

"Check the satchel," he said.

"As in Captain Hook?" Emma asked.

He smiled broadly, wishing that she was remembering him, but knowing that it was just a matter of time before she truly would know him. "Ahh, so you've heard of me."

The questions weren't done, and he explained Cora's plan. It seemed like the women weren't sold on the idea, but it was more believable than his previous story. He avoided looking at Emma, knowing that she would get his mind off-track.

"You tell me one thing. And whatever you say, I better believe it – Why does Captain Hook want to go to Storybrooke?" Emma asked, the dagger once again held at his throat. Hook knew that he couldn't tell her the entire truth. As she had already told him, it would lead to a disaster.

"To exact revenge on the man who took my hand – Rumplestiltskin," he said. He had barely thought about the imp in the last one hundred years, but if being with Emma also got him revenge on the Crocodile, he wasn't going to complain.

Emma cut through the ropes, and the five of them rushed away quickly. "Why are we taking him with us now?" Mulan asked.

"Rumplestiltskin is a dangerous man. Having someone with a vendetta against him is not surprising. Also, it sounds like he can actually get us back to our land," Mary Margaret explained.

"Then lead the way, Hook," Mulan said, pressing her sword into his back. Hook kept a quick pace going until they were sure the ogres were far behind them. He had hoped that Emma would walk near him, but unfortunately, she was far behind, and with the warrior woman's blade ready to run him through, there was no way he was going to be able to talk to her.

The group crested the hill and fanned out to stare at the giant stalk rising high into the clouds. Emma stepped up next to Hook, and he hoped that this would be their position for the remainder of their journey.

"We're going to climb that?" Emma asked.

"It's not the climb you need to worry about. It's the giant at the top," Hook replied, gazing at Emma. He breathed in her scent, that wonderous mix of vanilla, strawberry, and some other fruit that he could never name. He held himself back once again from pulling her close to him and kissing her until she couldn't breathe. Soon, very soon he hoped.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I was really nervous to post this chapter, because I know how much this episode really shaped and defined the CS relationship. I hope that it lives up to expectations, and that no one is out for my head after this. Also, I apologize if Hook is OOC - my excuse is that the events of Your Undoing changed him from what he is the the show.**

**As always, the genius belongs to Eddie and Adam. I just like to play with them.**

"Tallahassee"  
As the women began talking about the ominous nature of the beanstalk, Hook began trying to devise a way to ensure that the counter spell Cora gave him would go to Emma, allowing him more time with her. The only way he would ever get her to fall in love with him again was to once again gain her trust, and he couldn't do that if she wasn't with him.

"Well, your compass awaits. Shall we?" Mary Margaret's face told him that she would not be very likely to volunteer on a trip up the beanstalk with just him. More than that, it assured him that winning over Emma's parents might be the real challenge in their relationship.

"Wait. If these beans create portals, why not just pick one and go home? Why the compass?" Emma asked, waving her arms to emphasize her point.

"Because there aren't any more beans. Whatever story you think you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong." Hook said, slipping in the endearment out of habit. Luckily, it didn't seem to register with Emma as odd, and she continued on with the tale.

"There was a guy named Jack and a cow and something about an evil giant with a treasure and a golden goose. Or harp." Emma said.

"Sounds like a lovely tale, but the truth's a little bit more gruesome. The giants grew the beans, but rather than use them for good, they used them to plunder all the lands. Jack and his men fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil giants. The beans were destroyed by the giants as they died. If they couldn't have their magic, then nobody could. It's really very bad form." Hook explained.

"Evil giants who made magic portal beans? Why doesn't anyone just go up and grow some more?" Emma asked.

"Because one giant survived – the strongest and most terrible of them all. And we'll have to get past him to…" Hook answered.

"The magic compass," Mary Margaret interrupted, and Hook was suddenly reminded that this was not a private conversation.

"Indeed. The treasure remains, and amongst it is the compass. Now it will guide us to your land. Cora has the means to open a portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can't find your land without the compass. Once we get it, steal the ashes from her, and we're on our way." Hook explained. He silently applauded himself on having such a reasonable contingency plan. He didn't think that either Emma or her companions would think it odd for him to suddenly switch sides as he did, because it made sense to work with them.

"How do we know you're not just using us to get the compass for Cora?" Mulan asked, obviously distrusting his plan and calling his bluff.

"Because you four are far safer company. All I need is a ride back. I'll swear allegiance to whomever gets me there first," Hook said. If he were completely honest however, he would swear allegiance to Emma, and whoever was going along with her.

"Then we'd better start climbing," Emma said.

"Right. So… I failed to mention that the giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders," Hook said.

"All right, so how do we get up there?" Emma asked, annoyance taking over her tone.

"I've got a counter spell from Cora, if you'd be so kind." Hook held out his hands to get them untied.

Mary Margaret freed his hands, albeit more roughly than necessary. "Thank you milady." He tried to endear himself to her, hoping that one day she would approve of his relationship with Emma. The manner in which she stamped off didn't seem to carry any more affection for him however. He brushed off the interaction, and held up with right hand so the women could clearly see Cora's cuff.

"I've got one more of these. Cora was to accompany me. So…which one of you four lovelies shall take her place? Hmmm? Go on. Fight it out. Don't be afraid to, you know, really get into it." He looked directly at Emma, hoping that she would be the one to take possession of the cuff and they could finally have a chance to be alone. He considered offering the cuff directly to Emma, but what he really wanted was for her to choose to be with him.

As the women fought, Hook considered the best way to try to gain Emma's trust. He knew a great deal about her from the stories she had told him about her life before Neverland, but just knowing things about her life wouldn't be enough to truly convince her. It sounded like Emma had convinced the other women that she should join him. Now was his chance to assure that the decision wouldn't change. "Ladies. In this world, we are slaves to time. And ours is running out. In other words, tick-tock."

Emma walked over, and his suspicions were confirmed. The amount of effort she put into finding a way back to her son from Neverland was no different than her determination now. "I was hoping it'd be you," he told her.

"Just get on with it." Emma said, offering her wrist.

"Put your hand right here. That's a good girl." Hook caressed her wrist gently as he placed the cuff on her wrist. "This will allow you to climb. There are other dangers. Thankfully, you've got me to protect you."

Hook gestured to get his hook returned to him. "I can't climb one-handed, can I?" he asked her incredulous expression.

She handed the hook to him. "Don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second."

"I would despair if you did." Hook smiled and clicked the hook into place.

"Let's go," Emma said. They each chose a section and began the ascent. Hook was content to allow them to climb in silence for a while, but eventually he got bored and needed the chance to capitalize on this alone time with Emma.

"First beanstalk? Well, you never forget your first. You know, most men would take your silence as off-putting, but I love a challenge." Hook said, smiling at her to break through the ice.

"I'm concentrating." Emma retorted.

"No, you're afraid. Afraid to talk, to reveal yourself, to trust me. Things will be a lot smoother if you do." Hook assured her, remembering just how difficult it had been for her to trust him in Neverland. The thought punched a tiny hole in his confidence. If that was still in Emma's future, was there any point in gaining her trust now?

"You should be used to people not trusting you." Emma said.

"Ah. The pirate thing. Well, I don't need you to share. You're something of an open book." Hook said, only slightly relying on his previous experience with her. Even if she didn't trust him completely, getting her heart open just a tiny bit wouldn't hurt his future.

"Am I?" Emma asked.

"Quite. Let's see. You volunteered to come up here because you… were the most motivated. You need to get back to a child," he said, avoiding saying Henry's name. He could fill the remainder of the climb with everything he knew about Henry, but that probably wasn't going to help him.

"That's not perception. That's eavesdropping," Emma said, disbelieving his "skills."

"Ah, but you don't want to abandon him the way you were abandoned," he added, knowing that this was a better way to get to her.

"Was I?" Emma asked, and he could tell she was slightly impressed by his perception.

"Like I said, an open book," he replied.

"How would you know that?" Emma asked.

"I spent many years in Neverland, home of the Lost Boys. They all share the same look in their eyes... the look you get when you've been left alone," he explained. He failed to share his own experience with abandonment and loss; first his father, then Milah, and finally Emma herself.

"Yeah, well, my world ain't Neverland," Emma replied, returning to concentrating on her climbing.

"But an orphan's an orphan. Love has been all too rare in your life, hasn't it? Have you ever been in love?" he asked. He knew that love would come into her life eventually, but he felt like he needed to remind her about past loves to open herself up to the future that was right before her.

"No. I have never been in love." Hook knew immediately that she was lying, but he wasn't going to call her on it, not just yet.

The remainder of their climb was again quiet and more focused on the beanstalk than conversation. Finally after several hours, they reached the top and jumped off the edge of the wall surrounding the stalk.

"What happened here?" Emma asked, eyes gazing over the destroyed palace.

"It's where the final battle was," Hook said, walking through the carnage with few emotions displayed on his face. As Emma walked past, he noticed her left hand was cut.

"Give me your hand," he said.

"What?" Emma asked. She looked at her hand as if she hadn't noticed earlier the blood now drying and crusting on it.

"Your hand... it's cut. Let me help you," he insisted.

"No. No. It's fine." Emma tried to play off the injury.

"No, it's not." He hooked her hand and pulled her closer to him. Seeing her bleeding, he remembered how carefully she had taken care of him after being stabbed by the fairies, and he was determined to return the favor.

"So now you're gonna be a gentleman?" Emma asked, her tone doubting his intentions.

"Giants can smell blood, and I'm always a gentleman," he assured her. He pulled out his rum bottle, opening the cork with his teeth so that his hook kept Emma exactly where he wanted her to be. He poured the bottle on her hand to cleanse the wound.

"Ah! Oh! What the hell is that?" Emma asked, suddenly angry at Hook's aid.

"It's rum. A bloody waste of it." He inspected the wound, then pulled his scarf off his neck and carefully wrapped it around her hand, reminiscent of her care of his side wound. As he wound it around her hand, he began to talk through a theory. "Here's the plan. We wait for the giant to fall asleep. When he does, we'll sneak past him into his cave. It's where the treasures are, where the compass lies."

He could tell Emma was slightly flustered as he tied off the scarf with his teeth. He purposefully gave her a sultry gaze through his eyelashes to further throw her off balance.

"And then?" Emma asked.

"And then we run like hell." Hook couldn't think of any other option that they had after that.

"I don't have time to wait for a giant to fall asleep. The powder Mulan gave us...we need to use it. We gotta knock him out," she said.

"Well, that's riskier," Hook said. He was concerned for the risk involved in actually having to confront a giant. If something happened to them, to Emma, he would be devastated.

"Than waiting for a giant to fall asleep when we need him to?" Emma pointed out.

"Point taken. Ooh, you're a tough lass. You'd make a hell of a pirate," he remarked, remembering just how much of a pirate she had become eventually. He handed her the bag of powder from his satchel.

"Who's Milah on the tattoo?" Emma asked. Hook suddenly became very embarrassed. In his efforts to make Emma fall in love with him again, Milah just had to be drawn in.

"Someone from long ago," he replied. _Before I met you, and long before we fell in love_, he thought.

"Where is she?" Emma asked, drawing out his misery.

"She's gone," he said, walking away to avoid the conversation.

"Gold. Rumplestiltskin. He took more than your hand from you, didn't he? That's why you want to kill him," Emma said. Hook could have told her then that Rumplestiltskin was the least of his desires now, but keeping the ruse going would help him keep her trusting him.

"For someone who's never been in love, you're quite perceptive, aren't you?"

"Maybe I was once," she said, making Hook's heart beat just a little faster before he remembered that she was not talking about him. But she would eventually.

They found the entrance to the palace and discovered a fairly workable plan. Emma climbed on top of a statute to the right of the entrance, bag at the ready to shove into the giant's face as soon as he emerged. A large shield was to the left of the doorway, and Hook picked up a large bone to use as a stick to alert the giant to their presence.

"You ready?" he asked when Emma appeared balanced on the shoulder of the statute. Her position was out of the way, unseen, which reassured Hook that she wouldn't be hurt by the giant.

"Yeah," she replied. Hook rushed over and began banging the bone on the shield, a musical tone echoing loudly through the deserted space. It only took seconds before a man at least 30 feet tall emerged from the palace. Hook could see that he was taller than expected, rising 10 feet above Emma's head. She wouldn't be able to get the powder directly into his face, unless he did something.

"Oi! Hey! You big git!" he called to gain his attention. When the giant turned to him, he stepped out further to show him exactly who he was. "Yeah, you. Huh? You wanna kill a human Huh? You want to kill a human? I'm the worst human around. Come on! Come on then! Come on then!"

He moved around until the giant was in the perfect position. Emma threw the bag, and hit him squarely in the face. As the giant dropped, Hook scrambled to get out of the way of the tumbling giant. Unfortunately, the heavy weight falling to the ground creating enough of a tremor to knock him to the ground as well. Fortunately, he was uninjured.

"Hook? Hook!" He heard Emma calling for him, a distinct level of panic in her voice.

"He's out cold," he assured her. "I don't mean to upset you, Emma, but I think we make quite the team."

"Let's go steal a compass," Emma said. She slid down the statue awkwardly, and Hook prepared himself to catch her at the bottom. He hadn't centered himself well enough, and they both fell to the ground.

"Great catch," Emma said sarcastically.

"If you like being on top,we can try that," Hook replied with his cheeky grin. Emma didn't reply, but he could tell she was slightly flustered. She walked away into the palace, and he struggled not to bring to mind their previous encounters, knowing it would only distract him from the present.

"They hoarded all of their greatest stolen treasures in here—piles of jewels, and every room filled with coins," Hook said as they entered the treasure room. He got sidetrack by the immense wealth represented around him. He picked up a coin and held it to his face. Despite his feelings for Emma, he would be lying if he said that being a pirate wasn't a part of him.

"Let's get to it. The compass," Emma said urgently.

"What's your rush?" Hook asked, still savoring the money.

"How long do you think magic knockout powder lasts?" Emma asked.

"I have no clue," he responded.

"That's my rush," Emma explained.

"Too right, lass. Come. Everything we need is right in front of us," he said, pressing onward as they began their search.

"They kill all the giant housekeepers, too? How we going to find a compass in this mess?" she asked.

"By looking. Start searching. I wonder how much treasure we could carry down the beanstalk… in addition to the compass, of course," he added when he saw her face.

"What the hell?" Emma asked, looking at a normal sized skeleton on the ground.

"That… would be Jack," he explained.

"As in Jack…"

"The giant killer," he interrupted.

"With that toothpick?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Well, it packs quite a wallop. You'd be surprised." Hook recalled them being run off of the island in Neverland that were about the size to them as this "toothpick" was to the giants.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Emma called out, pulling him against her.

Hook smiled down at her, finally satisfied at having his love back into his arms. He swung her slightly from side to side, reveling in the memory of their dance upon the Jolly Roger. "It's about bloody time," he murmured.

"It's a trip wire. Quite a security system," she said, pushing him away from her. Hook's mind cleared and he realized that she was not holding him out of memory and sentimentality. But he was determined that she would eventually.

"Well, that's a plausible excuse for grabbing me, but next time don't stand on ceremony," he said.

"Let's find the compass and go home. After you," she said, gesturing ahead of them.

Hook stepped over the line, still slightly proud of himself that he had gotten some form of contact with Emma. Unfortunately, he would have to wait just a little longer before all his desires came to fruition.

"So it's just...in here somewhere?" Emma asked.

"Allegedly. Give me a boost would you, love?" Hook asked, staring at a gilded cage.

"So I can't see what you're pocketing? No way. You give me a boost," Emma replied.

"Try something new, darling. It's called trust," he said, looking into her eyes, reassuring her that he was indeed telling the truth.

"We do it side by side and fast. Who knows how long before the –" Emma didn't need to finish her sentence, the subject becoming obvious by the shaking of the ground around them.

"Someone's up. Quickly. Get under something." He reached out to take her hand, trying to find a palace that they could hide. Emma dropped his hand immediately. He looked behind to see where she was, but his view became blocked by a falling chunk of ceiling. Hook covered his head, but it didn't save him from getting knocked out by another piece of stone. The last thing he heard before being engulfed by blackness was Emma calling out to him.

"Hook," Emma murmured, holding out her hand for him as he began to gain consciousness. He realized that she must have neutralized the giant somehow, and that she must have the compass now.

"You are bloody brilliant. Amazing. May I see it? The compass." As she pulled out the compass, he was grateful that this woman was one who, by her own admission, could take care of herself. "It's more beautiful than legend. Come. Let's go."

When his extended hand was met by a handcuff, he stood up in shock. "What are you doing? What are you doing?"

"Hook, I... I... I can't..." He could tell that she was stalling, she was unsure about what she was doing, but that wasn't going to stop her from doing it. He had to try it though.

"Emma, look at me. Have I told you a lie? I brought you here. I risked my own safety to help you. The compass is in your hand. Why do this to me now?" he asked, feeling completely betrayed.

"I can't take a chance that I'm wrong about you. I'm sorry." The pain was obvious in her voice.

"You're sorry? You're sorry?! I got you here! I got you the compass!" Despite how he felt, he was still angry with what Emma was doing.

"I got the compass," Emma insisted.

"You're just going to leave me here to die? Have that beast to eat me, to crush my bones?" Suddenly, Emma's apology before she left made complete sense.

"He's not a beast. And you're not going to die. I just need a head start. That's all." She walked away without another word.

"Swan. SWAN! SWAN!" he called. He had to try to get her back, whatever way he could.


	4. Chapter 4

Interlude: Hook and Anton

"So, what did you do to piss Emma off?" the giant asked Hook.

"Nothing," he responded, tugging at the cuff to try to find a weakness.

"Really? Leaving you up here like this? You must have done something," the giant said.

Hook fiddled with the handcuff, trying to see again if he could pick the lock. Unfortunately, even if he could, that giant had threatened him with immense physical pain if he tried to escape.

"Emma said I could let you go in ten hours. But in the meantime, that's a lot of time to waste. Why don't you tell me about yourself?" the giant asked.

"Why?"

"Because we don't have to be enemies. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to talk to anyone else, and I know that you can't hurt me right now. So, talk."

Killian inspected his hook to avoid looking at the giant. Unfortunately, the humongous presence could no longer be ignored. "Killian Jones."

"Anton. So, why did Emma leave you up here?" he asked again.

"Not going to forget about that, are you?" Killian sighed.

"Did you hurt her? I noticed her hand was bandaged," Anton asked.

"I would never hurt her!" Killian insisted. Even the insinuation hurt him. One hundred years had changed him in many ways, but it had done nothing to diminish his feelings for the beautiful, intelligent, courageous, absolutely infuriating woman.

"Did you steal from her? Insult her? Insult her family?" Anton asked without waiting for any answers.

"She doesn't trust me. Not yet at least," Killian answered.

"Oh. Well, what makes you so sure she'll trust you later?"

Killian let the question hang in the air. He thought about what he would actually say to the giant. Since his crew disappeared with the curse twenty-eight years ago, he'd had no one to confide in. Anton, despite his reputation, was in fact quite amiable and easy to talk to. The giant would never leave his castle after all, and so could never tell anyone else his secrets.

"Can I trust you to keep a secret?"

Anton nodded with enthusiasm. "I don't really have anyone to tell, do I?"

"Emma and I have a long history together. We first met one hundred years ago."

"Wait, one hundred years?" Anton interrupted.

"Fairy dust is pretty magical stuff mate," Hook joked. Anton's only response was to kneel down so he was closer to the storyteller. "Emma arrived on my ship, and she needed my help to find her way home. As you saw for yourself, she's quite the impressive lass. I couldn't help but find myself completely taken in by her."

"But she didn't return the affection?" Anton asked, now doing a perfect impression of a teenage girl at a sleepover, laying on his stomach, hands cradling his face, feet hanging in the air and moving slowly back and forth.

"Actually, it took her a while, but eventually my charms won her over."

"So what happened? Did she catch you with another woman?" Anton asked.

"No! Would you stop interrupting and just let me tell my story?" Anton ran his fingers across his lips to indicate his acquiescence.

"Nothing went wrong between the two of us. The reason Emma is less than pleased with me right now is that she hasn't fallen in love with me, yet."

"What?" Anton asked, then immediately clapped his hands over his mouth to avoid another outburst.

"These events are still in the future for her. A strange portal will send her one hundred years to the past, allowing her to fall in love with me."

Anton stared for a moment, silence allowing both to sink into their personal thoughts. "So, Emma isn't in love with you, but she will be in the future? But that's in the past for you?" Anton clarified.

"Exactly. My goal right now is to just bide my time and prepare her to be open to love when it comes. Trust me, she has a long way to go."

"You love her now? How can you stand it, caring for someone that doesn't care for you back?" Anton asked. His eyes were shining slightly, betraying his emotions.

"I have hope. I know that one day she _will_ be in love with me. Until then, I remember what I had with her. The way her hair creates a perfect golden halo, particularly when the morning sun hit it splayed across her pillow. I love the way her entire face lights up when she laughs, no one can help but smile with her. And when she talks about her son, the only person in the world who can compete with me for her affection." Killian paused for a moment to overcome his emotions. He had not talked about Emma this openly ever. Even when his crew members would mention her, he would withdraw from the conversation to avoid the pain the memories gave him.

"Are you going to tell her?" Anton asked.

"I wasn't planning to. I wish I could, but I made Emma a promise. I need to wait for her to make the first move, after she's returned from her journey to Neverland. Once she has come back though, she won't be allowed to leave my sight ever again."

Anton sighed wistfully. His eyes were still shimmering, and it was definitely not a trick of the light. Gone was the harsh, angry giant that had stormed out earlier to attack the intruders. This man was not unlike Killian; broken, alone, looking for something that he may never find.

"I told you my story, why don't you tell me yours?" Killian asked, realizing how much he just needed someone to care about him.

Anton was shocked by the question and he became overly nervous at the request. "My story? What do you mean?"

"Everyone knows that history is written by the victors. What was your contribution to the Jack story?"

Anton's face lost all of its previous softness. "Don't mention that horrible name! Jack was a lying, thieving coward!"

Killian didn't push the subject, not wanting to encourage the murderous rage that could emerge from the giant. Silence pervaded the room for several minutes. Eventually, Anton sighed deeply and began explaining his story.

"When Jack and James betrayed me, I swore to never trust humans again. Emma is the only human that I trust now."

Killian tried not to be offended that he had not also gained that trust. He must be loosing his edge if no one could trust him. "James?" he asked, trying to assess what this new information was about.

"The prince. Jack made me believe that he needed money, they pretended to be my friends, so I thought I could give them some of my treasure. It's not like we used it anyway."

"You didn't?" Killian was reassessing just how much treasure he could take with him if Anton wouldn't miss it.

"All my brothers and I did was cultivate the beans, but we never used them."

"Why grow them in the first place then?" Killian asked.

"They're magic beans with the power to travel between realms? Why not grow them?" Anton asked. Killian nodded at the logic, and he wished that he had known this information when there were still beans available to steal.

"So, Jack and James wanted treasure?" Killian asked.

"No, they wanted the beans. But they would have used them the exact same way that every other human would - to travel to other lands and wreck havoc there."

"Isn't that what you did? How you got all your treasure?" Killian asked.

"No! Never! As guardians of the beans, we were also responsible for holding onto treasures that were lost or too valuable to be out in the world."

Killian didn't say anything in response, but he had a feeling that whatever Anton said about the giants, not all of their intentions were completely honorable. "What happened then? To the beans?"

"I was curious. I was fascinated by the human world, before I knew just how cruel they could be. I went down there, met James and Jack. When they said they needed money, I went back up to get it. They followed me, and Jack had a sword covered in poison. One stab, and it caused a slow, painful death. While she cut and slashed at my brothers, I had to burn and salt the fields, so nothing could ever grow again." The last part of the explanation was lost on Killian.

"Wait, 'she'? Jack was a woman?" Killian asked.

"Yeah, Jacqueline. She and James were involved with one another. Obviously he wasn't as devoted to his girl as you are though. She was stabbed with her own sword, and James left her to die while he ran off with a bag full of treasure. Since that day, I've been alone."

Killian allowed him a minute to calm down and relax from his story. The things that he had revealed certainly tugged on his own heart strings, and he felt an overwhelming desire to help out the giant. "You don't have to be alone you know. There are very few humans left in this realm since Regina's curse took most of them away."

"Curse? What curse?" Anton asked.

"I guess it didn't really affect you, did it?" Killian explained the curse as succinctly as possible, leading the two into silence.

"Say, Anton, don't you think it's about time you let me go?" Killian asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively. He hoped enough bonding had gone on for Anton to give him a shot at catching up to Emma.

"I guess so. Here." Anton pulled out a key and dropped it into Killian's hand. He tried to maneuver his wrist, but there was no way he could unlock the cuff himself.

"A little help, please?" Killian asked.

"Oh, I can try." Anton picked up the key again. He pinched it between his thumb and forefinger and attacked the cuff roughly.

"Easy now friend. Slowly, gently," Killian guided him.

It took several minutes and some harsh tugs on Killian's wrist, but eventually they managed to get the handcuff unlocked.

"Well, Anton, it's been - an actual pleasure. If you ever find yourself back among humans, look me up," Killian said.

Anton bent over and swallowed Killian's hand with his own. "Goodbye Captain. Before you go, take this." Anton removed a chain hanging around his neck and handed it to Killian.

"What is this?"

"It's the last magic bean in existence. Unfortunately it can't work right now, but I've heard about a place that can restore what was lost. If you find that place, you could use this bean to get you and Emma home."

Killian looked at the tiny object in his hand. It touched him, knowing that Anton really did trust him, and that he could actually find a way to save Emma without having to face Cora and her wrath again.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. And good luck with Emma!" Killian saluted the giant, and he was off.

**AN: I hope you enjoyed this "deleted scene" as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really wish we could have actually seen in the show. I apologize if my Anton came off too much like Hurley, but I love that character so much, and I feel like they could be really similar. As always, reviews are love!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Into the Deep"  
Hook jumped the remaining few feet of the beanstalk, ready to be back on the solid ground. His arms ached, and he could feel the swelling returning in his right wrist from all the abuse it had borne in the past day. As his feet touched earth and he managed not to fall from sheer exhaustion, a voice behind him sounded.

"My dear Captain, it seems you've been on quite an adventure. The compass, please." Cora said.

Hook turned around to face her. "Yes, that… Well, matters grew complicated. It's eluded me for a moment. The details of the affair are a bit of a bore." He would be lying to himself if he said that his ego wasn't still hurting from being bested by Emma, to say nothing of what his heart was going through.

"Really? Stealing my protection spell and climbing the beanstalk without me might seem like a bore to you. But to me, it's a betrayal," she said harshly.

Hook lied to cover himself. There was no way he would let Cora know that he truly was planning on betraying her for Emma. "I was going to bring it to you. Our agreement remains. We are going to Storybrooke together. I'll get it back." Tens hours with a giant, and several more descending the stalk had allowed multiple gears to begin spinning.

"I don't have time for your games. I've crossed through too many worlds to be brought short at the brink of success. Who was it who bested you?" He could practically hear the smugness in her voice, reflected directly into her face.

"The Swan girl. Emma. Be assured, it won't happen again." He was surprised that she had guessed the truth so easily. Was it becoming that easy for someone to get the better of him? How was Cora managed to get under his skin so easily?

"No, it won't. You chose her, and the consequences of that decision."

Hook's heart clenched. If she did anything to Emma, he would find her heart, one way or another, and destroy it. "Oh, you gonna kill me now? Go ahead. Try."

"So brave. No, I'm not going to kill you. I have something far more satisfying in mind. I'm going to leave you here with your thirst for revenge unquenched. While I complete our journey without you." Cora's words were final, but Hook would not let her get away from him so easily. If he lost contact with Cora, that would mean she could get to Emma, and who knows what could happen when those two came head to head?

"There's no need to be rash. We can discuss this." The only reason he had joined with Cora in the first place was to get to Emma. If she left him now, and did something to his love that he could have prevented, he would have nothing, and he couldn't live with that.

"Your pretty face buys you a lot but not my time. It's too valuable," Cora said, her lips twisting in her resistance to the look that typically had women puddling at his feet.

"I can do this. I can get it back. You need me." He was pulling out all the stops to save this partnership. Alone, he had no chance of getting Emma's trust and being with her again.

"No, I don't. You've had your chance. Now it's my turn to do this. The right way." Smoke took the place of Cora's body, and surrounded Hook as he reached for her. With nothing to catch him, he fell to the ground, cursing the fact that he was now alone.

Dusting himself off, he searched through his mind to find a plan that would work. If he caught up with Emma and her companions, they may have enough faith in him to allow him to work with them again. Then again, Emma had left him on top of the beanstalk because she didn't trust him. If he couldn't get her on his side, what chance did he have with those other women?

Despite his misgivings about what would happen when he approached them, he decided to track them and deal with the fallout when it came. It took several hours, but the women had not been very careful about covering their tracks, so it was easy enough to follow them.

It took several hours, but finally, Killian could sense that he was close. The tracks they had made were fresher and more distinct. He had decided once he caught up with them that he would tell Emma the whole truth. She probably wouldn't believe him like she had told him earlier, but he could at least start breaking down her walls again.

"Aurora? Aurora!" a voice shouted in the distance. Killian recognized it as the warrior's. His pace increased, curiosity spiking at what could be causing the ruckus. Before he caught sight of Emma and her friends however, a few men came out between the trees. One of them carried a thrashing, angry figure thrown over his shoulder.

"Let me go you brute! Let go of me right now!" she yelled.

Killian let out his breath sharply as he recognized the voice as not being Emma's. He surmised that it was Aurora, and her capture was the reason the warrior had been yelling for her. As the men stumbled forward, Killian gasped again, recognizing one of them as the dead man he had used for cover right before he was found by Emma. That man, all the men in fact, had been in the island sanctuary - and had been killed by Cora. He didn't know how it was at all possible, but here they were now, walking and fighting against Cora's enemies.

The men carrying Aurora stopped mid stride and abruptly changed direction, following an unspoken order. Still keeping and screaming, Aurora was carried away from her friends. Killian didn't pay much attention to where the men were taking her, more concerned with getting to Emma. Whatever happened to Aurora was a secondary concern. Until he remembered.

"Cora," he murmured. He began following the silent men at a safe distance, not wanting to lose them, but wanting even less to be seen. Luckily the screams of the sleepy princess continued unabated, creating a signal that was impossible for Killian to lose.

After walking for an hour, his suspicions were confirmed. Aurora was shoved roughly into a natural cave with a heavy door preventing access. After the men emerged, Cora appeared with a tray of food. She went in, and Killian started to formulate a plan while he waited for the witch to reemerge.

If he freed Aurora, she would not only be in his debt, her innate trust of him would be justified, and could extend to the other women looking for her. Once he did so, there would be no going back to Cora. She would know that he was the one who had released the princess. He would be placing all his trust on Emma.

He fingered the bean Anton had given him. Getting Emma and the other women to this mysterious place that could restore the bean without Cora finding out would be the greatest challenge. With her ability to travel anywhere in an instant, appear in the guise of another, and kill with removing hearts, she was an extremely difficult enemy to have, and making her one was not to be done lightly. If he could get any leverage against her, they may actually stand a chance.

From his cover, he spied Cora exit the cave. "Make sure to alert me if _anyone _comes near," she ordered one of the men and pointed him to the door. He gave a silent expressionless response which Cora must have taken as affirmative. She walked away, and Killian knew that now was the time to strike. But he was still trying to decide exactly what his strike should be. Escape with Aurora? Allow her to leave and attempt to deal with Cora? Wait for Emma and company to arrive and aid them? None of his options seemed extremely favorable to him.

He stared at his hook as if it would provide the answer. Minutes passed, but it finally did.

* * *

Killian breathed slowly and evenly to avoid detection. His steps were measured and soft, picking a path through the green and living earth that wouldn't betray his presence. The soft breeze on his face gave him another advantage as he reached out for his prey.

"Sorry mate," he murmured before snapping the guard's neck. The swift move was not exactly what he expected when the head not only separated from the spine, but from the entirety of the body. Everything crumpled, and Killian shook the feeling of disgust from his body. He focused his attention on unlocking the door as silently as possible to avoid any form of detection.

Once the door was opened, he was gratified to see the princess fast asleep, her head cradled softly in her arms. He watched her slow breathing and calm face for a moment, hesitating about the action he planned. Once his entire motivation was revealed, he knew he could gain Emma's forgiveness. But at least initially, he was about to make his True Love hate him.

"I'm doing this for her," he told himself. "She needs to get back to Henry and she can't do that if Cora is hunting her down."

Killian closed his eyes so he couldn't see or feel what was happening, and he focused all his thoughts in Emma - remembering her face, hearing her laughter, feeling her kiss, blocking out any errant thought of Milah and how she died.

There was no movement from Aurora, and a dull thumping told him that his task was done. Still unable to actually look at what he had done, he put the beating object into his satchel, and breathed in and out deeply to rid himself of his heinous act.

"Wake up. Wake up. Come on, sweetheart, wake up. Wake up. Wake up. On your feet, hurry." Hook said, shaking the princess slightly, and lifting her to her feet when her eyes opened.

"No, no! Are you here to kill me?" she asked, panicking and backing away from him.

"If I were here for that, then waking you first might not be the best course of action," he pointed out.

"So what? Did Cora send you here?" Aurora asked.

"Cora has no idea I'm here," Hook said, trying to gain the woman's trust. He used his hook to break the shackle that kept her bound to this tiny room. If that didn't let her see his intentions, he didn't know what would.

"I don't understand," she murmured.

"Well, I know you're sleepy. Isn't it obvious? I'm setting you free."

"What is this, some sort of pirate's ruse?" she asked.

"Cora is denying me passage to Storybrooke and my vengeance. And now I'm gonna deny her her wishes, starting with the compass. In pirate terms you might say, I'm firing a shot across my enemy's bow," he explained. He needed at least one of the women on his side, and Aurora seemed the most naïve of them.

"You'd risk your life to break in here, all so you could thwart Cora?" Aurora wasn't as naïve as she appeared.

"I don't like being double crossed. Now go," he ordered. It took her a moment to respond, but finally she began to walk away.

"Thank you."

He grabbed her before she could leave him for good. "You can thank me by doing me one favor."

"What?"

"Give Emma a message. Tell her that the deal still stands; if she provides me passage back to her realm, I swear, I will help her find that dust that opens the portal." He played up his emotions, knowing that Aurora was a believer in True Love, and having that kind of relationship with Emma would be seen as an asset.

"You really want to assist us?"

"What hurts Cora helps me; 'course I do. Now go," he said. As Aurora left, he thought about how letting her go would help endear himself to Emma. But he couldn't take anymore chances. The heart in his satchel ensured that Cora would still need him as well.

* * *

"Looking for someone?" Hook asked, walking towards Cora.

"Don't tell me, you were dumb enough to let her go," Cora said.

"She was never going to give you what you wanted, anyway," he replied.

"So you freed her. And stuck around for the petty satisfaction of seeing me suffer," she said.

"Watching you suffer is a tempting motivation, but it wasn't that," he said.

"Well then, you must have a death wish." Her hands lifted, and Hook was slammed against the wall. She had trapped him with the rocks themselves and strode forward commandingly. With the utmost violence and malice, she twisted his hook out of its attachment. She brought the hook up to his chest, and his breathing increased. It couldn't take his heart out anymore, but that didn't mean it wouldn't hurt him. "You know, I have to kill you."

"You should try thanking me," Hook said.

"Oh, really? Why is that?" she asked, obviously disbelieving his words.

"Because I brought you a gift. It's in the satchel," he said, motioning to it with his head.

"What is it?"

"Customarily surprise is part of the fun of gift giving. Open it," he said.

His hook still at his chest, she yanked the satchel, breaking the strap. Her voice caught slightly as she asked, "Is that?"

"Indeed it is. And with it you'll get everything you want," he said. He had truly hoped that he could be the one to restore Aurora's heart, but it seemed that Cora was now the sure way to get to Storybrooke. They still needed the compass however, and when they caught up with Emma and her friends to get it, he would finally be rid of Cora.

* * *

"...you could have defeated Cora together. That the two of you could have gotten the remains of the wardrobe. Without him you'll have to go up against her all by yourself. He only wants to help. I think he might care for you," Cora spoke into the heart.

"Nice touch that," he murmured, assuming that the Cora was exaggerating what she thought were his feelings. He had done everything in his power to keep the older woman in the dark, hoping that Emma wouldn't get caught in the crossfire of their plan.

"But you know she won't trust you," Cora warned.

Hook's suspicions were confirmed, and he continued to play into them. "She doesn't have to. All I need is her to believe that I was genuine in letting the girl go. Which - in a way she does now. You're welcome."

"Impressive. You took a heart."

"Now you have a princess," he said proudly.

"Indeed I do."

"Now can we go on with the business going to Storybrooke? Together?" he asked.

"Why not? I hate to travel alone. All we need is the compass," Cora said.

"Which shall soon be delivered."

He took the opportunity to slip the wardrobe ashes into his satchel. "I will retrieve the compass for you," he said, attempting to leave Cora behind.

"You think I will trust you again pirate? No, you and I will visit dear Snow and her daughter together. Luckily, they are already in a cell. As soon as we reach them, they will be trapped, and unarmed," Cora explained.

**AN: Sorry for the slightly longer time between updates. I got busier than I expected. Plus, I wasn't super happy with this chapter because I just couldn't get over having Killian take a heart with how he feels about Emma and trying to get her to trust him. I hope at least some of the reasoning presented makes sense.**

**thank you so much to all you lovely readers out there. Now go fan girl over the awesomeness of CC and Colin's bicep!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Queen of Hearts"

"Halt," the guard said, holding Hook back.

"Food for the prisoner," he murmured, holding the pail up.

"It's not eating time. Who are you?! Identify yourself, slave!" the guard ordered. Hook plunged his left appendage into his neck before he even had a chance to cry out. Another guard ran up, his sword at the ready. Hook caught it with his hook and sent it flying. In their close quarters, he was able to gut the guard, effectively eliminating the impediments to his goal.

"'Slave'... I prefer the term 'Captain'," he said, throwing the heavy cloak off his head. He took the guard's keys from his belt and opened the cell door. The noise brought the lone occupant to her feet, and he moved forward.

"Hi. You must be Belle," he said gently to the woman who had obviously been enduring a much harsher life than she deserved.

"The Queen sent you didn't she? She wants you to kill me," she replied bitterly.

"I'm not here to kill you, love. I'm here to rescue you," he responded softly. He needed to get this woman's trust. She made be the only one who could help him.

"Rescue me? Who are you?" she asked.

"A friend. We haven't much time. Your father's life is in danger. He's being attacked by the very same monster who stole you away from your family in the first place," he said, unlocking her chains.

"Rumplestiltskin?" she asked with a chuckle, disbelieving his story.

"The Dark One. He must be stopped. You've spent more time with him than anyone. There are rumors of a magical weapon that has the power to kill him," he said, trying to finally get to the endgame of his ultimate desire.

"No. No. No. Let... let me talk to him. He's not a monster," she replied.

"Belle, your father's life hangs in the balance. I need to know what that weapon is and where to find it," he said. She was thinking about the same Rumplestiltskin he was, right?

"I don't know what you're talking about and I have no idea how to... kill Rumplestiltskin." Her words were filled with disgust.

"You don't?" he asked.

"No! And... nor would I," she said, confirming Hook's suspicion that she was not going to be as helpful as he wanted.

"Hmm. Then I'm afraid I'm not here to rescue you." He knocked the girl unconscious and she slumped back to the bed. "So pretty... yet so useless."

He raised his hook, preparing to kill her. The last thing he needed was someone in this world who could identify him. Suddenly, the silver appendage was gone.

"No. Not useless. She's a valuable chess piece," the evil queen said from behind.

"Do I look like I'm playing a game of chess? My hook, if you please?" he asked, gesturing to the tool.

"No," she replied.

"The asking was me being a gentleman," he said more forcefully this time, walking towards her.

"Is that any way to address a queen? Even a pirate should have better manners than that. Yes. I know who you are... Captain. I know why you came here from Neverland, and I know all about the crocodile you wish to skin," the evil queen said proudly.

"Then you also know that I'll stop at nothing," he said. Of course, getting to Rumplestiltskin was only a step towards his ultimate goal.

"So dedicated and resourceful. No one has been able to fight their way past my defenses before. She can't help you kill Rumplestiltskin, Hook. But I can, if you do something for me. Care to join me for a drink?" she asked, pulling him closer with his own hook.

She led him through the castle to her private chambers. Hook looked at the sparse furnishing, recognizing that this woman was not one for sentimentality or emotions. He decided that his story should remain that of his revenge. Talking about True Love with a woman like this; she has probably never entertained the notion of it. "Things are about to change in this world. Radically. I have plans to enact a curse that will take everyone to a far off land," she explained, handing him a goblet.

"How will that help me?" he asked.

"This new realm? It's a land without magic, where the Dark One will be stripped of his powers. There you won't need any magical weapon to kill him. You can do it with a mere flick of your wrist."

The thought that was more appealing to him than finally getting his hands on Rumplestiltskin was the idea that this new world was more than just a land without magic. It was Emma's land, he was sure of it. Maybe he didn't even need to worry about his cover story. If he was perfectly honest with himself, if he got the chance, he would certainly take out his anger on the crocodile. But if his revenge stopped him from getting to Emma, he would chose her over the Dark One any day.

"Tell me what I have to do," he asked.

"There's one person I don't want following me to this new land. You're to see to it that doesn't happen," she said.

"An assassination. Who is it you want me to dispose of?" he asked casually.

"My mother," she said harshly. She took out the hook she had taken from the pirate and muttered a few words. "It's now… enchanted. It will enable you to rip out her heart. I believe you've seen it done before."

"Yes," he said mournfully. Milah would always be a fixture in his life. He could never truly forget her, but the love he had received from Emma had given him the strength to move on.

"The enchantment will only allow you to rip out one heart, so make sure you do it right," she warned.

"What could she have possibly done to warrant such brutality?" he asked.

"That's my business. Yours is to kill her, and bring her body back to me," she said, her tone stopping any more argument.

"Easy enough. When will I set forth on this murderous journey?"

"Immediately. But you won't be going alone." She pulled off a sheet from a figure on the couch, revealing a dead man. "You remember Claude?"

"Can't say that I do," he said, his fingers on his lips in a look he hoped was thoughtful. Honestly, he was losing patience with this evil queen, and he just wanted to be on his way.

"You killed him in the cell block," she explained, hurt by his lack of recognition.

"Ah, yes. I didn't recognize him without my hook in his neck. Forgive me, but isn't he a bit of dead weight?"

"I banished my mother to a far-off land some time ago. You're going to need a portal to get to her. The rules are simple. One goes in, one comes back. Or in this case, two in, two back. You'll arrive with Claude, and you'll return with my mother," she explained.

"Now tell me... which far-off land do I have the pleasure of visiting today?"

"Wonderland," she said, revealing a hat from her hat box.

"Happily named, I'm sure. How will I find her?" he asked.

"Oh, don't worry. She'll find you," she assured him. She spun the hat around and it remained spinning as it fell to the floor. Purple smoke emerged, creating a large dark hole in the ground.

"Have a safe journey," the evil queen said, pushing both Hook and Claude into the void.

Hook was falling, falling impossibly far. Just when he began to lose all hope that he would ever come out of this, he landed hard on the ground. He opened his eyes slowly, and beheld a path with impossibly bright colors. He had traveled through many realms, but never had he seen a sky so pure blue, and grass so stark green.

"Halt! You there!" a man said. He was dressed in a uniform, and Hook quickly surmised that he was a soldier of some sort.

"I guess this is my lucky day. Are you going to take me to your queen?" he asked, standing slowly.

"Men, seize him." Three other men appear from nowhere, and grabbed Hook and his dead companion. "Take them to the queen."

A short walk later, Hook found himself being led into an open courtyard. A woman sat on a throne, her face covered by an enormous mask.

"Kneel, before the Queen of Hearts," the knave beside the woman said forcefully.

"Appreciate the warm welcome," Hook said sarcastically.

"The Queen wants to know why you've come to Wonderland," the knave asked after listening to the Queen whisper.

"I'm in search of someone. In her native land, she goes by Cora," he said.

The woman stood, revealing penetrating dark eyes and a stern face. "In this land, she goes by Your Majesty. Leave us." The crowd left, whispering curiously at this strange encounter the queen was having with this man. When Hook and Cora were finally left alone, Cora spoke again. "Your name, pirate?"

"Hook," she said with a bow, his left arm clearly displayed.

"What a clever nickname."

"I come bearing gifts, if you allow me." He stepped forward, a strand of pearls hanging from his hook.

"This hat, your portal... If I understand correctly, the same number who travels through, must also return. You arrived with him," she gestured to Claude, who had been wheeled behind him, "but who shall you return with?"

"You." He tossed the pearls aside, plunging the hook into her chest. He ripped it out violently, but there was nothing there. "What?"

"I'm the Queen of Hearts. Do you really think I'd be so careless, as to keep my heart where everyone else does? This..." she stuck her hand into his chest, "is how it's done. Tell me, who did this? Who sent you here to kill me? Who?"

"Your daughter," he said harshly.

"Regina? She...wants me dead?" A look of betrayal crossed her face. It quickly disappeared behind her stern expression again. "You're now going to tell me everything, and do exactly what I want. Because when you hold a heart, you control it. You have the power."

* * *

"There was ink in the cell," Mulan said, showing the others the inkwell she had discovered. They all looked at it in despair, not knowing what to do next.

"Son of a bitch ... Aurora, what are you doing?!" Emma yelled as the gate came down and Cora and Hook came into view.

"Helping me," Cora said, using magic to pull the compass from Emma's limp hand.

"No!" Emma yelled again and began rattling the bars.

"Don't waste your energy, dear. Rumplestiltskin himself couldn't escape from this cell. Thank you, Aurora. We couldn't have done it without you," Cora said.

"Why would you do this?" Emma asked Aurora.

"How could you?" Mary Margaret added her own question to her daughter's.

"Don't blame her. She was only doing what she was told." Cora revealed Aurora's heart in her hand.

"You took her heart?" Emma asked, disgusted by the action. Now she knew where Regina had learned such a horrible act.

"Actually, I did. It was a gift," Hook said, wanting to be completely honest. He felt like he had burned the bridge completely. There was no way Emma would fall in love with him now. Cora squeezed the heart, and Aurora bent over in pain.

"Forgive us. We'd love to stay, but Storybrooke awaits," Cora said, walking away.

"Hook. Wait. Please don't do this. My son is in Storybrooke. He needs me," Emma pled with him as he began to walk away.

"Perhaps you should've considered that, before you abandoned me on that beanstalk," Hook said, the hurt clearly evident in his voice.

"You would've done the same," Emma said.

"Actually, no." He pulled out the magic bean, preparing to teach Emma a lesson. Maybe she would be able to finally understand what he was doing. "Do you know what this is, Emma?"

"The bean that the giant kept," Emma said, reaching out for it.

"Yes, indeed. A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this...well, this is much more than a mere trinket. This is a symbol...something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility. Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you. The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done...with you." He was still unsure if Emma would truly understand, but he tried to communicate without words that this was all for Cora's benefit. Once he arrived at Cora's destination, he planned to push her through without the compass, then return once again for his True Love.

They walked away, Hook much more mournfully than Cora.

"Where are we going?" Hook asked.

"Lake Nostos. The legend says its waters hold the power to restore what was once lost. It'll return magic to what remains of this wardrobe. And then we'll be able to cross worlds," Cora said as they approached a dry lake bed.

"I may be a simple pirate but, I know one thing...lakes have water," Hook said. Cora pulled another trick out of her magical hat and created a water geyser.

"After everything we've been through, why do you still doubt me?" she asked him.

_Because I still need to save Emma_, he thought.

* * *

"I've told you all I know, now have some honor and kill me," Hook said, his heart burning him alive.

"Honor? For the pirate who snuck into my palace to assassinate me?" Cora asked with a chuckle.

"At your daughter's behest," he reminded her.

"She should've come. She should've killed me herself." Cora gave his heart another squeeze, but ultimately let him go. The pain still coursed through his body, and Hook fell to the floor. Cora sat back calmly in her chair, acting as though she wasn't about to kill him a minute ago.

"Mercy seems a bit out of character," he said, gasping for breath, not able to believe that she wasn't actually going to kill him. He wasn't going to complain however.

"Oh not mercy Hook, you're going to help me. Regina knows my methods better than anyone, if I was controlling you she'd know. This has to be your choice," Cora explained.

"Why should I?" Hook asked.

"Cause my dear, I'm the only one who can give you what you want," she said.

"Is that so?" he asked with a sardonic chuckle.

"This curse my daughter plans to enact, this new land she's taking everyone to, you won't remember who you are. So tell me Captain, how do you expect to kill someone when you can't even remember him. But if you do what I say, I'll make sure you not only kill him, but remember single moment," Cora explained.

It didn't take Hook long to realize if he didn't remember Rumplestiltskin, he wouldn't remember Emma either. He had sent a hundred years trying to find her. Being with her again, but not knowing her; it was a curse worse than death.

"Well, what shall you have me do?" he asked.

"Get me close to my daughter. And then I'll rip her heart out."

* * *

"Satisfied?" he asked as they stood over Cora's coffin.

"Did she put up a fight?" The evil queen asked, no trace of remorse in her voice.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," he replied truthfully.

"Thank you. Now leave us. I'd like a moment alone to say goodbye," Regina said.

He nodded and walked out of the room, closely the door behind him. He had seen enough of the layout of the palace to know how to sneak around to another entrance, ready to aid Cora in her revenge as she promised to aid him in his goal. From his hiding place, he heard the door close, signaling Regina had left the room. He stepped out, holding his hand out to help Cora out of the coffin.

"What happened? You didn't kill her," he said.

"There's been a change in plans."

"What would that be?" he asked.

"My daughter's curse is coming. We have to protect ourselves." The pirate and the queen snuck out of the palace. Cora led them to a small island some distance away from her daughter's kingdom as they watched ominous dark clouds begin to cover the sky behind them.

Once settled, Cora jabbed a staff into the ground, and they were surrounded by an iridescent bubble, effectively keeping the storm clouds at bay. They could see the purple masses go over the bubble, but they remained untouched.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to reconcile with her before her curse destroys the land?" he asked, still curious and worried about how this would affect his plans to get to Emma.

"Regina doesn't need me. Not now, not when she thinks she's about to win. But I still have a place in her heart. And the curse won't last forever. It will end. In 28 years, there'll be a savior, and she'll break it," Cora explained.

Hook panicked. "Twenty-eight years?" He didn't know how much time he had left to get to Emma, to be with her in the way she had told him they would be together, but 28 years, especially in a land where he could now age again, that could certainly affect things.

"You won't even notice. You'll be frozen, like all those in this corner of the land. But when the curse ends, our quest will resume, and when it does, Regina will truly have lost everything, and then she'll need me. That's when we'll go to this new land. You'll get your revenge. And me, I'll…help her pick up the pieces." Hook still wasn't sure about everything, but it seemed like Cora was a more sure way of getting to Emma than any other option he had.

* * *

As the gush of water began to calm, Cora pulled the ashes out of her cloak. "And now the ashes. Would you care to do the honors?" She held the vial out to Hook. He popped the top and sprinkled it into the water, throwing the entire vial in for good measure. A cavernous hole appeared, swirling purple in the middle of the newly created lake.

"Here we go. We'll be in Storybrooke soon enough. I really look forward to seeing my daughter." Hook smiled at her. Finally, all his scheming was about to come to an end. As soon as he got his hands on the compass, he would push her in, leaving him to find Emma himself, and take them both home.

"I told you I'd deliver you to Rumplestiltskin," Cora said, producing the compass. "Now don't let go, unless you want to end up someplace that isn't Storybrooke."

Hook placed his hand on the compass, preparing to yank it out of Cora's grasp. Before he got a grip on it, an arrow shot through their hands, pushing the compass out of the way.

"You're not going anywhere." Snow White yelled.

"This portal's taking us home!" Emma seconded.

"The compass – get it," Snow told Emma.

"Find it first. I'll take care of them." Hook was all too pleased to have the job of getting the compass. He was also relieved to see Emma out of that prison. It seemed as though his plan was going to work out even better than he thought.

Emma ran at him, sword raised. He raised his own in self-defense, but there was no intention in any part of him to harm Emma. She continued to attack, and he blocked, impressed by her skill. She was obviously untrained, but there was a certain amount of raw talent that he was excited to help her develop.

Her sword came up again, and he twirled his own around, knocking her blades from her hands. She lunged at him, and his first desire was to pull her into his arms and finally take a chance at kissing her once again. Unfortunately, pirate training and self-preservation kicked in, and he flipped her onto her back, rather than into his arms. She rolled away before he could get on her and explain what he truly wanted to do in double-crossing Cora. An arrow fired by Snow White also stopped him from attempting to rekindle the romance.

He grabbed onto Emma's leg, preventing her from reaching her sword. She turned back around, trying unsuccessfully to kick at him. His attention was distracted for a moment when he saw a small bag flying through the air, straight towards the portal. He leaned over, using Emma's weight as a counterbalance, and caught the loop of the bag containing Aurora's heart on his hook. Pulling the bag up, he let go of Emma so he could hold the bag properly, and finally make amends at what he had done.

"I may be a pirate, but I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart," he said, tossing the bag to Mulan. "Unless it's over me."

Emma approached him again, her sword low and defensive this time. "I had no idea you had such a soft side."

"I don't. Just like a fair fight," he replied. He made the first move this time, giving her slow, easily blocked swings with his sword, assessing her defensive skills. She was quick, and he thought again about how much he wanted to teach this woman who learned so quickly. Her swings changed to offensive after a moment, and Hook smiled internally at how much nicer this could be if she wasn't bent on killing him right now.

"Good form. But not good enough." He grabbed her leg as she lifted it to kick him, once again returning her to her back. She lifted her sword, but he quickly caught it between his hook and his own sword. There were not many times he was grateful for his hook, but this was one of them. Emma was completely at his mercy, and he smiled broadly. He threw in some lines that he was sure would get her hot and bothered, just to play with her some more as he slid slowly down her sword.

"Normally, I prefer to do other more enjoyable activities with a woman on her back. With my life on the line, you've left me no choice. A bit of advice? When I jab you with my sword you'll feel it. You might want to quit."

"Why would I do that when I'm winning?" she asked, showing him the compass. He was caught off-guard, and she elbowed him in the gut, giving her enough room to get her leg up, delivering another blow to his stomach. He was knocked off balance, but able to get his feet under him quickly. Emma jumped to her feet, sword in her left hand. Hook overpowered her easily, leaving him to look directly at her.

"Thanks," she said. The compass in her hand, she hit him in the jaw with extra power behind the punch. The love-tap was barely enough to cause a bruise, but Hook fell to the ground willingly. He had realized something. If he betrayed Cora, sent her through the portal without him or any guidance, he would be betraying someone that only wanted what he did, love. All her efforts and planning to return to her daughter would be in vain. It wouldn't hurt him at all to continue to work with her for a short time. Emma had the compass; she and her mother were set to go through the portal and be together. Plus, he had another way to get to Storybrooke. Today was not the day he and Emma would start their lives together. But one day soon.

After Emma and Snow had gone through the portal, he raised himself slowly to his feet, rubbing his jaw were Emma had hit him.

"We failed," Cora said emotionlessly.

"Really Cora, after all this time, why do you still doubt me?" Hook asked, turning her earlier words against her. He held up the bean, his last hope at getting to Emma.

"That bean's petrified. It's useless," Cora replied.

"But these waters have regenerative properties. Perhaps it's time to do some gardening." Cora smiled at him, and he knew that even she deserved this, a chance at reuniting with her daughter and being happy.

Sprinkling the bean with water, Hook once again held the rainbow colored bean, signifying hope once again. They set out for the Jolly Roger, wanting to use the magical vessel to transport more than just themselves. Cora mentioned a package that needed to come with them, and she used her transportation spell to make a covered box appear on the deck of the ship.

"Well, here it is," Hook said, throwing the bean into the water in front of his ship. He steered the ship into the whirlpool, bouncing roughly at the turbulent water. Minutes later, the ship resurfaced, and a new sight was before them.

"There it is," he said, collapsing his spyglass.

"Storybrooke," Cora finished for him. They had arrived.

**AN: I hope you all enjoyed the sword fighting. I wish I could claim it, but it all definitely belongs to Eddy and Adam. But I kinda own Hook right now, right? Or at least his mind.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I apologize this update took longer, but I was debating on what exactly to do, and I decided to skip a few episodes because of lack of Hook scenes, particularly Hook/Emma interaction scenes. Also, I decided to end this story here, because the interaction between Hook and Emma is minimal. So I hope you enjoy this last chapter.**

**As always, I don't own anything. Including Jell-o.**

"In the Name of the Brother"

Loud noises surrounded him, and the pain from the impact was getting worse. He writhed in agony, trying to find some way he could breathe without each inhale being accompanied by stabbing pain. After a few minutes, he saw Emma exit one of the horseless carriages that approached. He moaned just a little louder, hoping to get her attention. The Crocodile and Belle were certainly pulling a lot of focus towards themselves, but he was not to be outdone.

Finally, Emma came and stood over him. He pushed aside the pain and tried to put on his standard air of non-chalance. "Hey, beautiful. Here I didn't think you'd- notice! Ahh!" he screamed as she pushed into his side.

"Your ribs are broken," she replied with little emotion.

"That must be why it hurts when I laugh," he played off his earlier exclamation. He didn't want to appear overly weak in Emma's eyes. It was time to put on the brave face again. "Did you see his face? His one true love gone in an instant! Just like Milah, Crocodile-when you took her from me!" Hook tried to stand, despite the agony in his chest.

"But you took her first." Hook's attempt to stand was immediately blocked by Rumple's foot in his gut.

"Gold, are you insane?!" Emma cried.

"Yes, I am!" he agreed, bending over to attack Hook once again.

"You can't do this!" another man said, trying to pull the Crocodile off Hook. He assumed from the similarity between the two that this was Emma's father, David.

"I can, if you let me go," Rumple protested.

"You don't want her to see that," Emma said, trying to appeal to Rumple's good side. Hook knew that that wouldn't work; the imp had no heart. He would have said so if the cane at his throat wasn't blocking all airflow in and out of his body.

"I'm a stranger to her," Rumple said sadly.

"Murder is a bad first impression." Emma tried again with the emotional appeal.

"What would Belle want you to do?" David asked.

Another screeching vehicle appeared, and the distraction of its incoming was enough for David to finally pull Rumple away from Hook. He tried to breathe as evenly as possible to avoid more of that stabbing pain in his chest.

"Over here!" David called to the men exiting the new vehicle.

Emma seemed to have forgotten about him as she directed the new men to the vehicle that had hit him. "Go, to him. Take care of him. He can wait."

Hook was upset for a moment, before one of the men came over and began checking him. "Your ribs are broken," he mumbled.

"Tell me something I don't know," Hook replied.

"Get me a cart here," the man said. A bed on wheels was brought over, and Hook was loaded onto it. "Don't worry buddy, we'll take care of you."

Hook was loaded into the moving box, and the men began moving around him, thoroughly checking him over. The pain was beginning to be too much for him to handle, and with no Emma to impress, he began moaning louder and more frequently."Give him five milligrams of morphine. That should help him be a little more comfortable," one of the men said. Hook flinched when he felt a small stab go into his arm, but he didn't even get a chance to complain before his pain began to melt away. Suddenly nothing seemed to matter but making sure that this good feeling didn't disappear. Within minutes, they had stopped, and were now unloading him.

"Driver hit a pedestrian. Stress trauma from the wheel. Pedestrian has contusions, broken ribs," the man that had ridden in the moving box with him was telling a woman.

"Go to x-ray, pedestrian first," the woman said.

Emma spoke up. "Hide him."

"What?" the woman asked.

"Find a room and hide him." Hook was hurt, though only emotionally this time, for a moment, before he realized that Rumplestiltskin was going to be coming in shortly to look for his love. Maybe hiding right now wouldn't be such a bad thing.

* * *

Hook woke up as he felt the pain in his chest reemerge. It was duller now, but still very present. He opened his eyes slowly, and found himself looking into Emma's beautiful face.

"Where's Cora?" Emma asked forcefully. He winced, wishing that this could be like the last time; her bandaging him carefully from the fairy sword wound. He tried to sit up, but a handcuff prevented him.

"Again? You're really into this, aren't you?" He tried to move, but his chest burned at the action. "Damn, that hurts."

Emma stood up. "Told you. You cracked a few ribs. Where's Cora?"

"You look good, I must say, all 'Where's Cora?' in a commanding voice. Chills." This was now about getting Emma again, and it had nothing to do with Cora or his relationship with her, so there was no need for him to share.

"You have all sorts of sore places. I can make you hurt." He smiled, knowing she wouldn't really inflict harm on him. She moved forward to push on his side gently, and he twisted away, his pain emotional as well as physical. Her point was made very clearly.

"I've no idea where Cora is, she has her own agenda. Let's talk about something I am interested in, my hook. May I have it back? Or is there another attachment you'd prefer." He smiled at her, remember some very good times using things other than his hook.

"You're pretty chipper for a guy who just failed to kill his enemy, then got hit by a car," Emma said, clearly not amused by this conversation.

"Well, my ribs may be broken, but everything else is still intact, which is more than can be said for all the other bad days I've had." He settled back into the bed, quite pleased with just how soft and comfortable things were in this world. "Plus I did some quality damage to my foe."

"You hurt Belle," Emma emphasized.

"I hurt his heart. Belle is just where he keeps it. He killed my love. I know the feeling." As he spoke the words, he realized that the feeling was fading. Emma had become his whole world, and if she asked him to, he would forget all about Rumplestiltskin in an instant.

Emma leaned forward, but not quite close enough for the contact that he craved. "Keep smiling, buddy. He's on his feet, immortal, has magic, and you've hurt his girl. If I had to pick dead guy of the year, I'd pick you."

Hook replied with a smile that refused to meet his eyes. Emma mirrored the action, then walked away. He tugged once again on the cuff, hoping that possibly it would give. But nothing was going right for him.

* * *

The absolute boredom that existed in being chained to a bed and not having a single person around to share the experience with was finally broken up when Emma's mother entered the room, carrying a covered tray. He sat up as straight as he could to appear in control of the situation at hand, despite the handcuff. "To what do I own this pleasure, milady?"

"Save your flirting, Hook. It seems everyone in this hospital is too busy taking care of people that actually need help, leaving me the only one "trained" to bring you a meal," she answered curtly. She played the tray on a tiny table, then slid it over hang rest directly in front of Hook. Without another word, she began to walk out the door.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty," he called her back, hopping that his tone portrayed more deference than sarcasm, "I can't help but notice a problem here." Hook held up what remained of his left appendage, and pulled his right hand as far forward as it could go, falling incredibly short of what he assumed was his dinner.

Mary Margaret appeared flustered and unsure for the first time since he had met her. She had always cut a very confident and impressive figure back in the Enchanted Forest, but something seemed to be catching her off-guard at the moment. "Sorry. Emma gave me the key, I just forgot to actually let you go." She returned to the side of his bed, and seamlessly removed the offending restraint. Despite his usual need to always be as nonplussed as possible, he longed for another hand so he could rub at the raw ache in his wrist.

"Thank you," he said with a wink, earning him the eye roll she had passed on to her daughter.

"Goodbye Hook," she said, exiting the room.

Hook lifted the cover and breathed in deeply, prepared to enjoy how rich all the smells were in Storybrooke. He had yet to sample the food for himself, being confined to his ship interrogating the cricket since he arrived. But the few moments he had spent in town, and the stories that Emma had told left him already salivating for the fares. The meal he had been presented emitted little aroma, leaving him only with the choice to taste the food. He lifted the fork from the tray and speared a piece of the meat that was floating dark brown sauce, and lifted it to his mouth eagerly.

Less than a second later, he was mentally proclaiming Emma the worst liar ever and spitting out the tough, unpalatable excuse for food. Whatever that was, it did not come from any animal he would be eating more of, and he had had his fair share of chimera in the past. Hook turned to a pile of dark orange mush next, hoping that there may be some redeeming quality to the meal. He was more wary this time, and he only placed a small amount on the very tip of the fork and placed it on his tongue. Again, it only took seconds before this vile concoction was once again on the tray.

"Maybe third time is the charm," he murmured as he moved his fork towards a small bowl of a red, semi-clear substance. A tiny movement occurred when the utensil came in contact with the "food," and he jumped out of the bed, finally fed up with someone's lame attempt to poison him.

"What kind of poison is this?" he yelled out as he ran into the hallway.

"Sir, you need to return to your bed," a woman said, disregarding his question.

"No! I demand to know who is trying to kill me!" Hook defied her.

Mary Margaret appeared at his left. She took his arm and gently led him back into the room he had emerged from. "Hook, get back to bed. No one is trying to kill you, at least right now. And if they were, I'm certain they could find a way that's much more effective than death - by - Jell-o."

**AN: I apologize for the abrupt ending, but it just seemed like a good place to stop without making it longer and longer. I wanted to add my own contribution to what Hook's Jell-o scene might have been like. I think I may be more excited about that deleted scene than anything else that may be included in the Season Two DVDs.**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and favorited/followed this story. I had no idea how much people would enjoy my own random interjections to Eddy and Adam's brilliant writing. Thank you!**


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